Camping
by Aunty Lala
Summary: One Shot set in the Parallel Lives universe - Jack convinces Ianto to go on a camping trip, but things don't quite go according to plan when they wind up some where unexpected. As always the characters are not mine but the idea is - this one was inspired by a conversation with evalentine.


'Lets go camping he said.' Ianto muttered shooting murderous glances in Jack's direction. 'It'll be romantic, fun he said. What could go wrong he said.' He kicked a pile of leaves, his voice growing louder. 'I'm still waiting for it to go bloody right!' He dropped the pile of wood he had collected and stalked off looking for more, still muttering to himself. 'Tosh helped me fix my vortex manipulator he said. We can leave Gareth with your sister for the weekend...'

Jack loped into view, his own armload of wood added to Ianto's growing pile. 'Are you more annoyed at where we are or that your son is staying with your sister?'

'Where we are wouldn't be an issue if we still had bloody cell phone reception.' He threw more wood onto the pile so he could stand there with his hands on his hips and glare at his husband of three years.

'Oh.'

'Oh? And pray? When will we have cellphone reception Jack? A few million years or just a few thousand?'

'I said sorry.'

'If we ever get home you are never planning another holiday.'

'We'll get home, I promise.' He tried to pull his husband into his arm. 'The vortex manipulator just needs time to recharge, that's all. It will be fine Ianto, really.'

'Really? It will be fine will it.' He jerked away from Jack. 'Fine, if you say so. But. If we run into any velocipraptors I am totally tripping you.' He moved to the pile of wood and began assembling a fire. 'I hated camping as a kid.' He looked up. 'We will need more wood.' He watched as Jack nodded before heading towards the trees. He returned dragging two larger fallen branches back to Ianto and the fire he'd started.

At least they had the pack with the food, although a tent would have been nice but they had a blanket and matches. And each other. This was supposed to be their first weekend away since Gareth had been born, two years ago. Judging by Ianto's reaction it might be their last for the foreseeable future.

It wasn't his fault they had overshot things, a bit. And it would make for some really interesting stories. Hoping they could laugh about it, when they got home. He tried to engage Ianto in a conversation. 'Did you go camping much?'

Ianto shook his head. 'My father was more in love with the idea than the reality. It did take a couple of years before he'd admit defeat and give up though.'

'So I'm to assume you would prefer we holiday somewhere with walls.'

'Room service and linen would be nice too.' The spot Jack had brought them to was lovely but it was also in a different time. The air was different, more oxygen if he recalled his lessons correctly. And of course the possibility of bumping into dinosaurs put things on an entirely different level. The giant dragon fly they had seen was something he suspected was going to follow his dreams for a while yet. And for all his snide comments about velociraptors, he didn't really relish the idea of bumping into any. He'd seen Jurassic Park.

'And how long before you're recharged and we can go home?' Jack's 'um' didn't instill him with confidence.

Checking the reading Jack tried to smile. 'It's, ah, not charging as fast as I'd hoped.'

'Oh really.'

Jack really didn't like the look on Ianto's face.

'You do realise we don't have any coffee don't you.'

'What?'

'It isn't like we can pop down to the corner shop and pick some up.'

The sweetness in Ianto's tone was deceptive. 'Oh yes, someone packed the coffee in with the tent.'

'Oh crap.' Jack muttered, and it explained the coldness in his husband's smile. Or part of it at least.

'So, how long to recharge?'

'Um.' Jack raked a hand though his hair. 'Maybe a day.' He looked down at his feet. 'Maybe two.' He wasn't sure he liked the look on Ianto's face, and he didn't remember the man being like this. Neither this Ianto nor the other Ianto, one he hadn't thought about since Gareth had been born. He smiled a sad smile that glanced across his face before turning back to the matter at hand. 'So um, there is a stream over there.' He pointed in the direction he'd come from. 'And we have food and a blanket and the fire.'

Ianto nodded. 'Hopefully that means we don't need to try and go mammoth hunting for dinner.'

'I also saw some bushes covered in some sort of berry things.'

Ianto loaded more wood on the fire and decided he needed water. He pulled the largest of their pots out and indicated Jack should lead the way.

* * *

He surveyed the bushes with a cautious eye. 'Do we know if you can even eat these things?'

'What do you mean?' Jack frowned. 'They look like berries to me.'

Ianto rolled his eyes and pointed to the creature they could see wheeling about, high up in the air above them. 'I'm pretty sure that isn't a sparrow. Lets face it, we aren't exactly in Cardiff right now.'

'Well, if it does kill me it wont be permanent.' He shrugged, suddenly he didn't relish the idea of finding out. 'But what makes you say that it might?'

'It's probably nothing.'

'Come on, spit it out.'

'Well.' He set the pot of water down. 'They look ripe, but, nothing has eaten them.'

'Oh yeah.' Jack noticed the lack of any kind of insect or animal activity. 'Maybe the thing that eats them is nocturnal and they only ripened up today?' He tried to sound hopeful but the more he thought about it the more Ianto seemed right. And he didn't feel like dealing with being poisoned in prehistoric times. The last thing he wanted was to be incapacitated and have something find them that was looking for an easy meal.

Besides, he didn't want Ianto to watch him die. And he didn't want to use the vortex manipulator to scan the fruit, he needed to save the battery power. Whatever Tosh had done to fix it was apparently not as permanent as he'd hoped. 'Come on, lets get back to the fire and get something to eat.'

Ianto nodded as he followed Jack. He was hungry and he missed his son.

* * *

Jack was glad wherever they had ended up it wasn't too cold otherwise sleeping out in the open with a single blanket between them wouldn't have been as much fun. He held Ianto in his arms and brushed his lips over his husbands cheek.

'Really Jack?' He was given one of Jack's most dazzling smiles, the one that said, but I'm captain Jack... Ianto sighed softly as he relaxed into his husband. 'Alright but I'm just going to lie here, you want active participation take me to the South of France and find us a nice little bed and breakfast...' He groaned softly as Jack began undressing him. Lips following to touch exposed skin. He'd be lying if he said he only shivered because it was cool as Jack caressed him. 'Lube?'

Jack nodded as his lips settled around Ianto's nipple, hands reaching lower. 'Ah hmm.'

Ianto reached into Jack's coat pocket and pulled out the bottle, handing it to Jack as he felt his pants being tugged down and cool air dancing across his hardening cock. It was impossible for him to stay mad at Jack for long and the older man knew it. 'You don't play fair Jack.' Blue eyes looked up to meet his as Jack grinned.

'I know. You want this my love?'

'Of course I want this and you.' He groaned softly as lubricated fingers began working him open. He kicked himself free from his clothes and wrapped his legs around Jack's waist.

There was an urgency only Jack could answer as Ianto keened softly in his ear. The sounds his husband made moved straight to his cock as he made love to his Ianto. A single word whispered in the Welshman's ear. 'Mine.'

'Always.' Was the panted reply as Ianto rolled his hips to meet Jack as he thrust forward. Sometimes he still didn't believe this was his life. Although he wasn't sure he wanted a repeat of camping with dinosaurs any time ever. But as long as Jack held him close and whispered endearments in his ear as they made love he could cope. He wasn't changing his mind though, Jack was never organising a holiday ever again.

Jack knew Ianto was still annoyed at him as they pulled their clothes back on and fell asleep in each other's arms. Wrapped up beside the fire Ianto had carefully nurtured into life. He was pretty sure he could get them home the next day and so far they had managed to avoid getting eaten by anything.

Although he suspected it was going to be a long time before Ianto quite forgave him. He fell asleep with a smile on his face as he felt his husband's breathing soften in sleep. He was confident they could get home tomorrow and once Ianto saw their son all would be forgiven.

* * *

Jack stumbled back to the fire to toss more wood on to keep the flames going. He turned to watch Ianto sleeping and nearly screamed when he saw his husband covered with a moving wall of chicken sized creatures. They were nestled into the sleeping Welshman as if for warmth. He had barely been gone ten minutes.

Of course, he mused, he wouldn't have known if they'd been there all night, since he was still waking up as he'd stumbled towards the trees to relieve himself. He wished he had a camera although he wasn't sure who they could ever show the picture to if he had taken one. He watched as Ianto batted one of the tiny dinosaurs away muttering in his sleep. 'Not now Jack.'

He grinned as he watched Ianto snuggle down until eyes opened and the Welshman screamed. The small dinosaurs scattering at the sudden noise and loss of their warmth as Ianto scrambled away from them. Jack snatched one up and looked at it. It was covered in tiny feathers and had sharp looking claws and tiny teeth. It snapped at him before he let it go and watched it run towards the undergrowth and it's companions.

Ianto glared at Jack. 'Get me home.'

Checking the vortex manipulator Jack grinned. 'Your wish is my command my love. We just need to put this fire out and take our rubbish with us.'

'Thank god for that.' Ianto stretched before tipping the last of their water on the fire and kicking the embers to make sure it was out.

Jack scooped the pack up before pulling Ianto into his arms. 'You sure you don't want to do a bit more exploring first?'

Ianto just rolled his eyes as he wrapped his arms around Jack, watching as the man pushed buttons and the breath was sucked out of his lungs. The world seemed to spin around him as he waited for his stomach to settle. 'We are never travelling like that again.'

Jack nodded as he felt earth beneath his feet. A deep breath and he found himself missing the oxygen rich air they had been breathing. Looking around he recognised the garden at Rhi and Johnny's home. 'Come on, lets get our son and go home.'

Ianto linked his hand with Jack's and kissed him on the cheek as they walked towards the door. 'Deal.'


End file.
